Religious Conflicts

Many of our social problems today are extended into religious conflicts. In fact, most of the time, religion is the cause of these conflicts. The purpose of religion is to guide mankind to develop unity and harmonious life and practice humane qualities.

Today, however, religion is often being used to discriminate against other religions and to develop jealousy, hatred and hostility. Actually today, human beings are not using religion to maintain peace and harmony but to create superiority or inferiority feelings. Such hostile and unhealthy religious competition or domination have even created bloodshed in many part of the world.

Some religious leaders or groups have been guilty of praising their own beliefs as part of their valuable religious customs and traditions, while ridiculing other religious beliefs and traditions as being inferior. Some others use religions for material gain, political power, self-glorification, reign supreme over others, and worldly powers. Religion itself has become a major problem.

Those who use religion for worldly material gain and political power also face fear, worry, insecurity, enmity and difficulty of maintaining their power and authority. This clearly shows that the accumulation of worldly power is not the solution to overcome human problems.

Some people concentrate only on wealth power. Wealth can only help to overcome certain minor problems. Worldly happiness, sensual pleasures can be gained through wealth. Money cannot eradicate natural problems. Religious teachers, scholars, thinkers and rationalist pointed out the nature of human weakness and how to overcome them. However, the ordinary people often regard them as theories and not solutions to their problems.